Safety ski binding

ABSTRACT

A safety ski binding for a sports item, the binding including first and second units, each unit for retaining a ski shoe therein, each unit comprising a holder for holding a ski shoe in a predetermined position and including a toe part and a heel part, a part of the holder being movable between a locked position for holding a ski shoe in the predetermined position and an unlocked position for releasing a ski shoe from the predetermined position. An unlocking device is provided for unlocking the holder to thereby release a ski shoe from the predetermined position, the unlocking device including a movable locking pin for selectively engaging a part of the holder. A releasing device is connected to at least one of the toe part and the heel part for releasing a ski shoe from the predetermined position when the holder is in the locked position, the releasing device for releasing a ski shoe in response to a force exerted thereon through the ski shoe. A connecting cable is provided for connecting the locking pin to the releasing device of the other of the first and second units to unlock the holder when a ski shoe held in the other of the first and second units is released from the releasing device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a safety ski binding for a sports item, such asa snowboard, snow-gliding device or monoski,

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In the case of a safety binding of this type for a snowboard, known fromU.S. Pat. No. 4,652,007, the binding units are connected via couplingparts which are only in interlocking engagement with the latter, whichgive rise to problems in conjunction with board flexure, can bedangerous in the case of release as freely movable parts and, above all,have the disadvantage that the release characteristic of the bindingunits cannot be set individually.

In the case of a snow-gliding device according to German Utility Model8,105,142, the supporting board on which the binding units are fitted ismounted by means of flexible coupling parts on two ski elements or skidsarranged one behind the other, as a result of which the user can controlmovements relative to the ski-run during the descent. On its upper side,the supporting board bears holding means for ski boots, which aredesigned in the form of straps, but which do not ensure a definedposition of the ski boots on the supporting board. In addition, in theevent of a fall of the user, there is the danger of one ski boot hangingin the strap, and thus on the supporting board, as a result of whichinjuries may occur.

A similar type of fastening of the two ski boots, although in this caseon a monoski, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,785. In the case ofthis design, the two straps can be adjusted along guide rails, which arearranged on the upper side of the monoski.

EU-A 20147753 shows a monoski with two safety bindings. Here too, thereis the risk of the one ski boot remaining in the ski binding when theother ski boot comes free, as a result of which--since such a ski isvoluminous, in contrast to skiing on two separate skis--the danger ofself-inflicted injury is increased.

The invention has set itself the object of avoiding these disadvantagesand of creating a safety binding for sports items of the type mentionedat the beginning which makes it possible to set the releasecharacteristic of the binding units in such a way that, if extraordinaryforces occur, a reliable release of both of the user's ski boots or adetachment of the same from the sports item is ensured. In particular,it is to be ensured that, on release of the one ski boot, the other skiboot is also inevitably released.

This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a devicewherein. In this, the control for the joint release of the two bindingunits is the same, the only difference being in the design of the sportsitem and in the use or non-use of a supporting plate.

The designs according to the invention make possible a free flexure ofthe sports item during descent, since the coupling parts arefrictionally interconnected and thus relative movements between thesports item and its holding means can take place without neutralizingthe holding forces for the ski boot. Due to the fact that both thedimensions and the pretensions of the springs for the holding means canbe changed within broad limits, furthermore a good adaptation of the skibinding to the desired release values can be brought about. Since, afterrelease of one of the ski boots or of one of the supporting plates bythe one binding unit, the other ski boot or the other supporting plateis likewise released from the other binding unit by forced control(automatically), it is virtually impossible for the user to remainhanging on the sports item and thus the danger of injury is reducedconsiderably. Moreover, the stepping-in with the ski boots or supportingplates and the renewed fastening of the same at the binding units issimplified by the design according to the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is defined by the features ofclaim 3. In this way, on the one hand a secure retention of the ski bootor of the supporting plate on the item is ensured and on the otherhand--when the one ski boot or the one supporting plate comes free fromthe item--an immediate release of the other ski boot or of the othersupporting plate is brought about in a simple way.

The inventor also ensures a compact design of the safety binding withuse of supporting plates, since the latter surrounds the binding unitsin the manner of a frame.

The invention also provides a flexible connection between the holdingpin of the one binding unit and the locking pin of the other bindingunit, respectively. This measure also has the effect of ensuring thatthe two binding units are not confined to any design-dependentpositions.

The invention also serves to facilitate voluntary stepping-out of theskier from the sports item and on the other hand of solving theregeneration of the system in a simple way.

The features of claim 7 make possible a space-saving arrangement of thedesign according to the invention of a binding on monoski.

If the ski boot is provided with a fitting for detachable connection tothe holding pin, the features of claim 8 have the effect of avoiding theoccurrence of undesired force components causing friction. As a result,it is prevented that harmful bending moments in a tripping-over fall ofthe skier are transferred to the shin.

The invention also make it particularly simple to secure the heel partof the ski boot. The arrangement of a cam-shaped supporting element asheel holding unit for a ski boot in the case of a safety ski bindingdesigned with a pivotable release plate is admittedly known per se fromU.S. Pat. No. 3,764,155. The present invention makes possible aspace-saving design of the heel part on a sports item.

An automatic resetting of the base plate into its initial position isalso ensured by an embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF OF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in more detail below by several exemplaryembodiments, with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partially sectioned plan view of a first embodiment ofthe binding according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II--II in FIG. 1,and

FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned plan view of a second embodiment of abinding according to the invention.

FIG. 4a a detail of the plan view FIG. 4 in an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional result taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4,and

FIG. 5a is a detailed view of FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI--VI in FIG. 4,

In FIG. 7, shows a snow-gliding device fitted, with the safety bindingdepicted in FIGS. 1, 4 to 6 is represented as a diagram,

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the safety binding according to theinvention in an arrangement on a monoski in partially sectioned planview,

FIG. 9 depicts a variant of the connection region of the ski boot inpartially sectioned elevation in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A binding according to the invention, as in the first exemplaryembodiment, is mounted on the upper side of a snowboard 1, as in FIG. 1.The binding consists of two essentially identically designed units 2,2',which are assigned to the two ski boots S₁, S₂ of the user and, as to beexplained in more detail, are mechanically in connection with eachother.

Each unit 2 and 2' comprises a toe part 3 and 3', respectively, a heelpart 4 and 4', respectively, and a supporting plate 5, in engagementwith these parts, for the ski boot S₁. As FIG. 1 shows, the front unit2, in running direction (arrow F), is arranged obliquely to thelongitudinal axis of the snowboard 1, whereas the rear unit 2' istransverse, essentially normal, to this longitudinal axis.

The toe part 3 and 3', respectively, of each unit is formed by a fronthousing 6, mounted on the snowboard 1, for a stationary holding pin 7,the free-standing end region of which is rounded off and is inengagement with an essentially conical recess 8 in a vertical limb 5' ofthe supporting plate 5. In lateral receiving points of the supportingplates 5, which are not designated any more specifically, a front swivelbow 9 and a rear clamping fixture 10 are detachably articulated, whichserve as clamping means for the fixing of the ski boot S₁ on the upperside of the supporting plate 5. Such clamping means, which also makepossible an adaptation to ski boot soles of different lengths, are knownto a person skilled in the art both with regard to design and withrespect to handling and do not constitute any subject of the invention.

The heel part 4 has a housing 11 which is not however, unlike the fronthousing 6, firmly connected to the snowboard 1, but is held with itsbaseplate 12 by two L-shaped angles 13, which are fastened on thesnowboard 1 and act as a type of guide rail, and can be displaced in thedirection of the axis of symmetry x--x running between heel part 4 andtoe part 3. Displaceably arranged in the housing 11 is a plunger 14,which protrudes on the side remote from the toe part 3 from the housing11 with its rounded-off end, designed as holding pin 14a, and, like theholding pin 7, is in engagement with an essentially conical recess 15 inthe other vertical limb 5" of the supporting plate 5. The holding pin14a is held in the engagement position via the plunger 14 by acompression spring 16, which engages with one end in a cylindrical boreof the plunger 14 and is seated with the other end in a threaded bush 17which is screwed into the housing 11 and with which the springpretension can be set. As FIG. 1 shows, the length of the supportingplate 5 and the pretension of the compression spring 16 are chosen suchthat, in the engagement position of the supporting plate 5, the holdingpin 14a is pushed against the force of the compression spring 16 intothe housing 11.

The housing 11 and its baseplate 12 are held in the shown engagementposition of the supporting plate 5 by a cylindrical locking pin 18,which has a rounded-off head, serves as locking means and engages in apin guide 19 which is mounted on the baseplate 12 and runs transverselyto the direction of movement of the baseplate 12. The locking pin 18 isguided in a spring housing 20, which is mounted on one of the L-shapedangle profiles 13 and is pretensioned into the engagement position by atension spring 21. The tension spring 21 is supported on a spring seat25, which is connected, as described in more detail further below, to atension lever 22, which can be swung toward the upper side of thesnowboard 1 and away from it.

The plunger of the holding pin 14a is connected via a first Bowdencable, the wire 23a of which is guided in a tube 24a, to the lockingpin, not visible here, of the rear binding unit 2'. In the same way, theplunger of the holding pin 14'a of this binding unit 2' is connected tothe locking pin 18 of the front binding unit 2 via a second Bowdencable, the wire 23b of which is likewise guided in a tube 24b.

If, during operation, for example the front ski boot S₁ is overloaded inone direction or the other, the one and/or the other vertical limb 5',5" of the supporting plate 5 comes out of engagement from the toe part 3and/or heel part 4 of the binding unit 2. The holding pin 14a is thenmoved under the action of the compression spring 16 up to its stop onthe inside of the end wall of the housing 11. As a result, the wire 23aof the Bowden cable 23a, 24a, connected to this holding pin 14a, exertsa pulling action on the locking pin, not visible in FIG. 1, of the rearbinding unit 2', the baseplate 12' of which is thus released with thehousing 11' for the plunger with the holding pin 14'a, which has as aconsequence a relative movement of the baseplate 12' together withhousing 11' and a detachment of the supporting plate 5 also of this unit2' from the heel part 4. The travel of the plunger 14 out of theposition shown in FIG. 1 up to the stop on the inside of the end wall ofthe housing 11 is large enough that the locking pin of the rear bindingunit 2' comes out of engagement from the assigned baseplate 12' farenough that the head of the locking pin can, during a movement of thebaseplate 12', be pushed back from the same.

As is evident from FIG. 1, the tension spring 21' for the locking pin ofthe rear binding unit 2' is supported on a spring seat 25', firmlyconnected to the housing 20'. Thus, there is no tension lever providedin the case of the unit 2'.

After a detachment of the two supporting plates 5 from the binding units2,2', the regeneration of the entire system is necessary for renewedstepping-in. First of all, before putting the supporting plate 5 inplace, the baseplate 12, pushed as far as a stop (not shown here), forexample provided on the snowboard, is brought manually into the positionrepresented in FIG. 1, in which the locking pin 18 engages in the pinguide 19 initially with its rounded-off head, for centering purposes.Thereafter, the tension lever 22, articulated at the housing 20, isswung up from the snowboard 1, which has a movement of the locking pin18 into the final locking position as a consequence.

This adjustment is made possible by the fact that, with the swinging-upof the tension lever 22, the entire Bowden cable 23b, 24b, fastened onthe spring seat 25, is swung along with it, and the distance whichbrought about the pull of the cable 23b upon release of the secondsupporting plate 5 at the rear holding bolt 14'a again, so that thelocking pin 18 is brought into the engagement position via the tensionspring 21. The front supporting plate 5 can then be inserted into thefront binding unit 2.

The entry with the front supporting plate 5 has the effect of pushingthe holding bolt 14a back against the force of the compression spring16. In this case, the pulling action of the cable 23a on the locking pinof the rear binding unit 2' is neutralized and this locking pin is againpretensioned into the engagement position by its tension spring 21' andpressed into the baseplate 12', likewise brought into the engagementposition in the way already explained, of the rear binding unit 2'.Thereafter, the supporting plate 5 of the rear binding unit 2' isclipped into the latter. The cable 23b connected to the assigned plungerof the holding pin 14'a thereby becomes tension-free. In order toreestablish the tension of the cable 23b, passing freely movably throughthe tension lever 22, necessary for a predetermined release of thebinding, the tension lever 22 is swung into the lower end position shownin FIG. 2 on the upper side of the snowboard 1.

In FIGS. 4 to 7, a variant of the safety binding according to theinvention with ski boots is illustrated as a second exemplaryembodiment. In this case, the safety binding represented in FIGS. 4-6 ismounted on the upper side of an item 101, designed as a snow-glidingdevice (cf. FIG. 7). The binding consists of two essentially identicallydesigned units 102 and 102', which are assigned to the two ski boots S₁and S₂ of the user and are mechanically in connection with each other,as will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

Each unit 102 and 102' comprises a toe part 103 and 103', respectively,and a heel part 104 and 104', respectively, into which parts therespective ski boots S₁ and S₂ can be inserted. As FIG. 4 shows, thefront unit 102, in running direction (arrow F), is arranged obliquely,the rear unit 102 on the other hand transversely to the runningdirection.

The heel part 104, 104' of each unit 102, 102' is formed by a U-shapedholding bow 110, which is pivotably mounted in a rail 106 fixed to theski. This rail 106 is formed by two angle irons, which are fastened byone limb to the item 101. In the upwardly protruding limbs of the angleirons there are several holes made in pairs, into which the angled-offends of the holding bow 110 can be hooked, according to choice, in orderto be able to bring about an adaptation of the heel part 104, 104' tothe size of the ski boot S₁ and S₂, respectively, used. The crosspiece110a of the holding bow 110 bears a cam-shaped supporting member 107,which in the running position of the safety binding engages in a groove108 of the heel of the ski boot S₁ and S₂, respectively.

For the sake of simplicity, only the toe part 103 of the one bindingunit 102 is described in more detail below.

The toe part 103 has a housing 111, which is held with its baseplate 112by two L-shaped angle profiles 113, fastened on the snow-gliding device101, and is guided displaceably in the direction of the axis of symmetryx--x running between the toe part 103 and the heel part 104. Arrangeddisplaceably in the housing 111 is a plunger 114, which is designed asholding means and bears on the side facing the heel part 104 a holdingpin 114a, which protrudes with a rounded-off end out of the housing 111and which is in engagement with an essentially conical recess 115 in theski boot S₁. The holding pin 114a is held in the engagement position bya compression spring 116, which engages with one end in a cylindricalblind bore of the plunger 114 and is seated with the other end in athreaded bush 117, which is screwed into the housing 111 and by whichthe spring pretension can be set. As FIGS. 4 and 4a show respectively,the pretension of the compression spring 116 is chosen such that, in theengagement position with the ski boot S₁, the holding pin 114a is pushedsomewhat against the force of the compression spring 116 into thehousing 111.

In the engagement position shown, the housing 111 and its baseplate 112are held in position by a cylindrical locking pin 118, having arounded-off head and serving as locking means. The locking pin 118engages in a pin guide 119, which is mounted on one of the baseplate 112and runs transversely to the direction of movement of the baseplate 112.The locking pin 118 is guided in a spring housing 120, which is mountedon one of the L-shaped angle profiles 113 and is pretensioned into theengagement position by a tension spring 121. The tension spring 121 issupported on a spring seat 125, which is articulatedly mounted on atension lever 122, which can be swung toward the snow-gliding device 101and away from it.

The tension lever 122 is mounted pivotably by means of a pivot spindle126 in a normal plane to the binding unit 102 in a U-shaped bow 120a onthe spring housing 120 and bears the spring seat 125 on a spindle 127which runs parallel to the pivot spindle 126 of the tension lever 122.

The plunger 114 of the first binding unit 102 is connected via a firstBowden cable, the wire or cable 123a of which is guided in a tube 124a,to the locking pin, not visible here, of the rear binding unit 102'. Inthe same way, the plunger of the holding pin 114'a of this binding unit102' is connected to the locking pin 118 of the first binding unit 102via a second Bowden cable, the wire or cable 123b of which is likewiseguided in a tube 124b.

If, during operation, for example the front ski boot S₁ is overloaded inone direction or the other, it comes out of engagement with its solefrom the toe part 103 and/or heel part 104 of the binding unit 102. Theholding pin 114a is then moved under the action of the compressionspring 116 up to its stop on the inside of the end wall of the housing111. The cable 123a of the Bowden cable 123a, 124a, connected to thisholding pin 114a, exerts a pulling action on the locking pin of the rearbinding unit 102', the baseplate 112' of which is thus released with thehousing 111' for the plunger with the holding pin 114'a, which has as aconsequence a relative movement of the baseplate 112' together withhousing 111' and a detachment of the ski boot S₂ from the toe part 103'.The travel of the holding pin 114a out of the position shown in FIG. 1up to the stop on the inside of the end wall of the housing 111 is largeenough that the locking pin of the rear binding unit 102' comes out ofengagement from the assigned baseplate 112' far enough that the head ofthe locking pin can, during a movement of the baseplate 112', be pushedback from the same.

As evident from FIG. 4, the tension spring 121' for the locking pin ofthe rear binding unit 102' is supported on a spring seat 125', firmlyconnected to the housing 120'. Thus, there is no tension lever providedin the case of the unit 102'.

After a detachment of the two ski boots S₁ and S₂ binding units 102,102', the regeneration of the entire system is necessary for renewedstepping-in. First of all, before putting the ski boot S₁ in place, thebaseplate 112, pushed as far as a stop 128, for example provided on anangle profile 113 of the snow-gliding device 111, under the influence ofa restoring spring 129 supported on an abutment 129a fixed to the ski,is brought into the position represented in FIG. 4, in which the lockingpin 118 engages in the pin guide 119 with its rounded-off head, forcentering purposes. Thereafter, the tension lever 122, articulated atthe housing 120, is swung up from the snow-gliding device 101, which hasa movement of the locking pin 118 into the final locking position as aconsequence.

This adjustment is made possible by the fact that, with the swinging-upof the tension lever 122, the entire Bowden cable 123b, 124b, fastenedon the spring seat 125, is swung along with it, and the distance whichbrought about the pull of the cable 123b upon release of the second skiboot S₂ at the rear holding bolt 114'a is eliminated again, so that thelocking pin 118 is brought into the engagement position via the tensionspring 121. The ski boot S₁ can then be inserted into the front bindingunit 102 (cf. in particular FIG. 5a).

The entry with the front ski boot S₁ has the effect of pushing theholding bolt 114a back against force of the compression spring 116. Inthis case, the pulling action of the cable 123a on the locking pin ofthe rear binding unit 102' is neutralized and this locking pin is againpretensioned into the engagement position by its tension spring 121' andpressed into the baseplate 112', brought into the engagement position bymeans of the restoring spring 129', of the rear binding unit 102'.Thereafter, the ski boot S₂ is inserted into the rear binding unit 102'.The cable 123b connected to the plunger of the holding pin 114'a therebybecomes tension-free.

In order to reestablish the tension of the cable 123b, passing freelymovably through the tension lever 122, necessary for a predeterminedrelease of the binding, the tension lever 122 is swung into the lowerend position shown in FIG. 5 on the snow-gliding device 101.

The third embodiment represented in FIG. 8 shows a monoski 201 with asafety binding according to the invention. The latter likewise consistsof two units 202 and 202', as have been described at length inconjunction with the second exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 4-6.

The arrangement according to FIG. 8 differs from that described above inthat both binding units 202 and 202, are fastened parallel to each otherin longitudinal direction of the monoski 201 on the same. In this case,the two angle profiles 213 and the baseplate 212 of the first bindingunit 202 are lengthened in relation to the second binding unit 202, ofthe ski boot S₁, in order to make possible a space-saving arrangement ofthe pin guide 219 and of the tension lever 222 with the spring housing220. In the present exemplary embodiment, the visible components havebeen denoted with reference numerals of the 200 series.

According to FIG. 9, the ski boot S' is provided in its front end regionwith a fitting 230, in which an essentially conical recess 215 is made.The fastening of such fittings onto ski boots is known without furtherexplanations for a person skilled in the art (cf. U.S. Pat. No.2,616,714). The operating principle of this safety binding correspondsto that already described.

The exemplary embodiments explained above can be modified variouslywithin the scope of the general idea of the invention. For instance, thetension lever may also be provided on the rear binding unit instead ofon the front binding unit. In addition, the inclination of the bindingunits with respect to the longitudinal direction of the snow-glidingdevice may be changed if the binding units are mounted on baseplates orthe like which are adjustable relative to the snow-gliding device.Furthermore, the function of toe part and heel part of each binding unitcould be interchanged, i.e. the heel part could have the designrepresented instead of the toe part.

It is also conceivable to dimension the longitudinal movement of thecables of the two Bowden cables in such a way that the individuallocking pins--acted upon by a tension spring each--merely align with theassociated pin guides and a clipping-in or locking of the locking pinsonly takes place after release of the individual cables. This design hasthe advantage that the release of the ski boot takes place withoutovercoming relatively small additional forces.

In order to reduce the friction on the underside of the baseplate, theindividual binding units can also be mounted on the upper side of thesports item with an underlay plate interposed. Such an arrangement isindicated in FIGS. 2 and 5.

We claim:
 1. A safety ski binding for a sports item, the bindingincluding first and second units, each unit for retaining a ski shoetherein, each unit comprising:holding means for holding a ski shoe in apredetermined position and including a toe part and a heel part, a partof said holding means being movable between a locked position forholding a ski shoe in said predetermined position and an unlockedposition for releasing a ski shoe from said predetermined position;means for unlocking said holding means to thereby release a ski shoefrom: said predetermined position, said unlocking means including amovable locking pin for selectively engaging a part of said holdingmeans; releasing means, connected to at least one of said toe part andsaid heel part, for releasing a ski shoe from said predeterminedposition when said holding means is in said locked position, saidreleasing means releasing a ski shoe in response to a force exertedthereon; connecting means including a bowden cable for connecting saidlocking pin to the releasing means of the other of said first and secondunits to unlock said holding means in the other of said first and secondunits when a ski shoe held in the other of said first and second unitsis released from its respective releasing means.
 2. A safety ski bindingas set forth in claim 1, wherein each unit further includes a supportplate for attachment to a ski shoe, said support plate having at leastone recess, said releasing means including a spring and a plunger, saidplunger having said locking pin integrally formed on an end thereof anddisposed within one of said toe part and said heel part, said spring forexerting a force on said plunger to urge said locking pin intoengagement with said at least one recess of said support plate.
 3. Asafety ski binding as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of saidtoe holding part and said heel holding part is mounted on a slidablebaseplate, said holding means including guide means for permitting saidpart mounted on said baseplate to slide between said locked position andsaid unlocked position, said locking pin being movable between a firstposition engaging said one of said toe part and said heel part toprevent sliding movement of said part mounted on said baseplate, and asecond position permitting said sliding movement of said part mounted onsaid baseplate.
 4. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 3, whereinat least one of the first and second units includes a tension leveroperatively connected to said locking pin, said lever being manuallymovable to thereby selectively move said locking pin between said firstand second positions.
 5. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 4,further including a locking spring for urging said locking pin to saidfirst position and a spring seat connected to said tension lever, saidtension lever being pivotable to selectively urge said spring seat indirections toward and away from said locking spring.
 6. A safety skibinding as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said toe part and saidheel part is mounted on a slidable base plate, and said holding meansfurther includes first and second guide means disposed on opposite sidesof said base plate for permitting said base plate to slide therebetween,said locking pin being disposed in a housing connected to one of saidfirst and second guide means, and said first base plate including a pinreceiving portion for receiving said pin when said holding means is inthe locked position.
 7. A safety ski binding for a sports item, thebinding including first and second units, each unit for retaining a skishoe therein, each unit comprising:holding means for holding a ski shoein a predetermined position and including a toe part and a heel part, apart of said holding means being movable between a locked position andan unlocked position; a support plate for connection to a sole of a skishoe, said support plate for engaging said holding means in said lockedposition to maintain the ski shoe in a predetermined position, saidsupport plate being detachable from the sports item when said holdingmeans is in said unlocked position; means for unlocking said holdingmeans from said locked position to release said support plate from saidholding means; releasing means, connected to one of said toe part andsaid heel part, for releasing engagement between said holding means andsaid support plate when said holding means is maintained in said lockedposition; and connecting means including a bowden cable for connectingsaid unlocking means to said releasing means of the other of said firstand second units to unlock said holding means when a support plate ofthe other of said first and second units is released by the releasingmeans.
 8. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 7, wherein saidsupport plate includes at least one recess and said releasing meansincludes a spring and a plunger each disposed within one of said toepart and said heel part, said spring for urging an end of said plungerto engage said at least one recess.
 9. A safety ski binding as set forthin claim 7, further including a base plate and wherein said holdingmeans includes first and second guide means, one of said toe part andsaid heel part being mounted on said base plate, said base plate beingslidable between said guide means to move said part disposed thereonbetween said locked and unlocked positions, said unlocking meansincluding a locking pin movably connected to one of said guide rails anda portion disposed on the base plate for receiving an end of saidlocking pin to maintain said part mounted on said base plate in saidlocked position when the end of said locking pin is disposed in saidreceiving portion.
 10. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 7,wherein said toe part and said heel part each include an outwardlyprojecting holding pin and said support plate has a substantiallyU-shaped cross-section including first and second downwardly projectinglimbs, each limb including a recess for receiving a respective holdingpin.
 11. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 10, wherein saidrelease means includes one of said holding pins, said one of saidholding pins being movable out of said recess to release engagementbetween said holding means and said support plate.
 12. A safety skibinding as set forth in claim 11, wherein said holding pin of saidrelease means is operatively connected through said connecting means tothe unlocking means of the other of said first and second units.
 13. Asafety ski binding as set forth in claim 7, wherein one of the first andsecond units includes a tension lever operatively connected to saidunlocking means for allowing a user to manually unlock said holdingmeans.
 14. A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 7, furtherincluding a tension lever operatively connected to said locking inthrough a locking spring, said tension lever being movable between afirst position for transmitting a force on said locking position whereinsaid tension lever transmits substantially no force to said spring. 15.A safety ski binding as set forth in claim 14, wherein said tensionlever is pivotally mounted on said unlocking means.
 16. A safety skibinding as set forth in claim 9, wherein said unlocking means is mountedon one of said guide means.
 17. A safety ski binding as set forth inclaim 9, further including a restoring spring for urging the base plateand the part mounted thereon to said locked position.